Why does Easter remind me of eggs . . .?

A tradition for many families is an abundance of hardboiled eggs on hand for days after Easter. It sounds great to boil up a bunch for decorating and hiding on Easter but you do end up with a lot that got left in favor of the jelly beans. What to do?

Stuffed Eggs can be made from ingredients probably already in your refrigerator. What you put into the recipe depends on what you want to taste when you are done! First I take my boiled, cooled and peeled eggs and slice them lengthwise in half. The yolks will pop out fairly easily. I mash them in a bowl, adding a spoonful or two of mayonnaise, bit of mustard, salt, pepper, and sweet or dill relish. Once thoroughly combined, I mound the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. This usually goes well but if the whites tend to crack or fall apart, this is your cue to chop them up, add to the yolks and . . . serve egg salad!

Several days after Easter, the goodies were dwindling. My daughter, Julianna, desperately wanted a hard-boiled egg. I told her there was one left in the refrigerator although it was a bit smashed. She took one look at the lone egg and slammed the door saying, “I’m definitely not going to eat an egg that is hatching!”

Eggs are also a budget saver and can be stretched to meet meal needs in many ways. Eggs can begin your day, be a boiled one in your lunch or become dinner. When the paycheck is slow in reaching the checking account, you can always depend on eggs to stretch the week out just a bit more. Sometimes it is fun to have breakfast for dinner. If you want to be cheap and elegant, an omelet is called for here. The basic recipe for an omelet is three or four beaten eggs mixed with a splash of milk and poured into a hot pan with a pat of melted butter or margarine. Turn the temperature low and cook slowly. Before the middle of the omelet has a chance to set, grate some cheese over it, add some salsa, crumbled bacon or cooked sausage. Just before serving, try folding it in half. Don’t worry about tears. The taste is what matters here. Again, these are ideas. Let them percolate and allow your imagination take over. Meanwhile, do something about all those hardboiled Easter eggs!